Meadow of Memory
by Sakura Fleur Miyuku
Summary: A sorcerer appears and grants Ahiru's and pretty much everyone else's wish- her human form. The catch- she has to K-I-S-S- fakir before sundown.  Little mermaid?  But there are consequences for being with the one you love...Disclaimer-I don't own PT.
1. Melody

_The figures danced on the frozen lake... an unmistakable posture. But there is something missing... it is an emotionless expression... is that even possible? -I mean... A lie. And as they say, truth is stranger than fiction._

_...Right?_

_Did any of that make sense? Anyway..._

_

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_

Ahiru's eyes slowly stirred open at the sound of her name being called.

"Hey, you awake? How long you planning on pinning me to the cushion here? I have to sleep too, ya' know..."

"Qua... Quack? Qua- qua quack quack qua-" And before she could stutter an apology, the ex-knight (Yeah, I had to call him that...) slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Okay, just shut up and get off."

Ahiru scowled before realizing she'd fallen asleep on his (yes Ahiru... _his!)_ lap at the lake while he was writing. "Quack..." She muttered before flapping off him and landing with a small thump on the dock.

"So, you coming home or staying?" Fakir said holding back an amused smirk. (Yeah, he likes seeing her land so clumsily. And I decided that because I am the writer and I can spell because without using a way of remembering it.)

"Quack qua quack? Qua quack qua qua quack quack, qua qua..." (Are you kidding? If I stay out here I'll freeze...) She hurriedly explained.

"...I don't speak _duck _as of yet. And I don't know any good tutors."

Ahiru just huffed and flapped up to meet his eye level, then... attacked his head. In a flurry of feathers, Ahiru pounced on his head, scratching and kicking. "Oy, Ow! Hey, that was- completely uncalled for... get off!" Fakir practically _begged_ for mercy. Eventually she gave in and started walking- or _waddling_ down the path leading to town and the blacksmith. Fakir sighed, wiping the water Ahiru splashed in his face of with his sleeve, gathered his current story and caught up with the persistent little waterfowl. Heh.

And of course, the typical silence would follow as the two (lovers- Ow! Fakir, why'd you hit me?) trudged their way home. Eventually one would let out a cough- if ducks can cough that is- and then continue on their way to the blacksmith. It was at least half a year after the defeat of the raven, and Fakir was still loyal to his promise and was living half at the lake and half at the blacksmith with Ahiru and Charon (Fakir's guardian). Neither the duck nor knight of the quill could deny they both missed the days Ahiru could actually talk, but both knew if they tried changing Ahiru back with Fakir's writing ability (like all the other fanfictors use in their stories), it would be too risky and Fakir –like the over-protective dog he is- knew he couldn't risk losing her.

Once they arrived home, Fakir went to have a shower while Ahiru- who thought she was off the leash- went out for a walk to cool her mind...

Or just swoon over Fakir. (Ouch.)

And just when she was about to call a quits and go home before Fakir came running after her, she heard a familiar melody streaming through the air. And as curiosity got the best of her, she waddled off into the moon-lit forest (Hah. Typical creepy forest setting. Oh my.) to the source of the music, oblivious to the dangers awaiting.

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A/N- yeah. I suck. I know it's kinda short and a crappy cliffhanger, but bear with me peoples come on! Oh, reviews welcome- feel free to critisize and remind me of how much it sucks. Thx for reading!


	2. Most Desired

"Charon... you sure she's okay? It's been over 2 hours..." Fakir moaned.

"Look son... If you're that worried about her, why not go hunt her down?" Charon tiredly replied.

"Don't say it like that... But I'll go anyway. I'll hopefully be back within the hour. Stay here in case she comes back."

"Good luck... and be careful."Charon passed him his jacket and he slipped out the door without further delay.

The cold night breeze tickled Fakir's skin, eating away at his conscience and concentration. It grew late and there was still no sign of the little muppet when a loud scream of pain resounded from the nearby forest.

"Ahiru?" And without required hesitation, he ran toward the direction of the voice.

* * *

"Who... who are you?" (She actually quacked this, but the creeper understands duck.)

A voice all too familiar replied with a slight grin. "Oh, come on dear, you aren't so oblivious that you have no clue what I am when you see me?" A tall figure blinded by a long torn cloak stepped out in front of the stunned duck. "Tell me, what is it you desire most? Of course, you can't think I'm so naïve to believe all you wish for is a life with that worthless knight, do you know?"

"Qua..." _Fakir..._

_I guess all I really wanted was for him to be happy with and accept my true form..._

_but is that really my own wish? I want him to be happy so... but if it means becoming human- could that bring a smile upon his face...?_

"So little duck, what is your wish? Anything come to mind?"

_I wonder if he would scold me if I broke my promise and did turn back...- but if she's just asking me what I want, there's no way she could..._

"Qua qua? Qua quack quack qua qua quack..." _Who are you? You still haven't answered my question._

"I am the only one to make your wish true. You really think that pathetic excuse for a body guard can turn you back? What did I expect," she answered bluntly.

"Qu- qua qua quack qua quack quack qua! Qua- Quack!" _Wha- don't talk about Fakir like that! I lov- ack!_

"Ah, you have quite developed feelings for the young boy. Wonder if he feels the same... in any case, I'll ask you once more. Is your human form what you want? I can make it happen. But of course, there is always a price to pay," the eerie woman beckoned.

"Qua! Quack quack qua qua quack..." _Yes! I want to be human with Fakir..._

"I knew you'd break eventually. So, how does this sound- I give your body back for one day. In the given time, you must get the tramp of a knight to kiss you before the day ends. If so, you shall remain human with the power of this pendant," she held up a small green gem on a silver chain, "If not however, your memories shall be bound to me forever and your feelings, all traces of you shall be gone from everyone's minds. Understand?"

Ahiru looked rather dumbfounded, and although she could not see her face, she was sure she could sense a smirk rising on the face of the mysterious figure. _If everyone- including me- forgets, what will become of Kin Kan...? But if this is my chance-!_

_WAIT._

_K-KISS FAKIR?_

"Qua qua quack quack quack?" _ I have to kiss him?_

"So you'd rather-"

"Qua- qua quack quack..." _No- I'll do it..._

"Good," and the pendant fell to her neck.

I mean, how hard could a kiss be?

"Oh, and just be prepared. I'm afraid to say I have been forbidden to spill anymore secrets..."

"Qua- ahhhh!"

"_Be prepared... and I'm sorry."_

_

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...please don't kill me!

Oh, and thanks for the first review! Maybe if I get one more, it'll revive my spirit and I'll write some more. I'll write anyway. Chow 4 now.


	3. Of Love and Hate

Ahiru's eyes slowly stirred open at the sound of her name being called.

Deja vu?

"Ahiru... are you okay? You've been out for almost 2 days..."

She slowly turned her head up to meet the strong concerned gaze of her knight. She ignored the unbearable pain in her limbs and slowly sat up to find herself in a bed in the guest room at the blacksmith. "Nn... Fakir... yeah. I'm fine," she slowly said- said?

"QUA-" Fakir slapped his hand over her mouth from his position on the end of the bed.

"You really want to hurry back to your duck flippers once you got your human body back?"

He removed his hand."Fakir, how am I..." The image of the hooded figure flashed in her mind.

_I'm sorry..._

"I don't know, I just heard you scream and found you lying on the ground..." he slowed into a mutter as his face turned an unusual colour of red.

"And then?"

"I gave you my jacket and took you home," he hurried.

Ouch. "So... I was-"

"Don't say it."

An awkward silence flooded the room as Fakir tried to get the image of... flesh out of his mind. Ahiru glanced down at her neck, and sure enough, the green jewel was still clinging to her neck. "Fakir, there was..." she trailed off, struggling to speak. A voice echoed in her head-

_Forgive me. You cannot speak a word of our encounter or our terms of agreement to that wolf._

"Never mind."

"Is something the matter? Oh- are you hungry? You haven't eaten in however long..." Fakir looked her in the face with a worried stare.

"I'm fine... thanks for worrying."

Fakir just sat there for a while, before grabbing her hand and leading her downstairs As she sat down at the table in the kitchen, her face flushed as the memories came flooding back to her.

_How am I going to kiss Fakir? I mean, you don't just go up to them and..._

"You okay? You're staring off into space. Fever?"

"No, I'm fine Fakir," she stumbled.

Fakir just 'humphed' and turned back to the breakfast in the pan.

A knife fell off the table followed by an anonymous knock at the door. "Who... at this time?" Fakir muttered bending over to pick up the knife. He walked over to the wooden door, Ahiru close behind. As he opened it, the familiar scowling face of Autor peering in.

"So the rumors are true... you do have a girlfriend. Not really surprised though."

Ahiru and Fakir blushed in unison (man have I been waiting to use that word) , stuttering things that only professionals could understand. "She is NOT my girlfriend. 100% guaranteed," Fakir finally got the guts to speak up.

"Whatever you say..." Autor gave in, a mischievous glint visible in his eye.

They sat down at the kitchen table and began to discuss the matter of Ahiru's humanity. Once Ahiru tried to explain, her throat became dry and the words she spoke were illegible and Fakir nor Autor could understand. Fakir hadn't written a story, Drosselmeyer was busy elsewhere...

The day went on, each minute lasting an hour. By evening, Fakir still had no idea of the cost of, well... not kissing her. Not that he thought about it. Around 8pm, Ahiru and Fakir went for a walk down to the lake leaving Autor to find his way home. Along the way neither said a word, not even sparing passing glances toward one another. Once they arrived at their destination, things just got more awkward.

"Fakir, I know I may not be able to explain this but- can we just enjoy it while we can?" Ahiru spoke up.

"Wha- while we can, what do you-" He was cut off by Ahiru grabbing his collar and pulling his face towards her own. In the few seconds her soft small lips were pressed onto his, a large light enveloped Ahiru's lithe form and she vanished into it before either could register what was happening. After a couple of seconds of complete and utter silence, Ahiru reappeared before him in a familiar costume, the same that was used whilst gathering Mytho's heart shards. Princess Tutu, in all her glory, now stood before Fakir looking rather stunned- almost mirroring Fakir's shocked expression.

"Ah. This wasn't in the explanation speech," Ahiru muttered loud enough for Fakir to hear.

"A-A-Ahiru, seriously, what did you do in that forest?" Fakir managed to make out after considering the fact she just _kissed_ him.

Ahiru looked up with sorrowful eyes, her gaze meeting his own. "I-I'm sorry, she said I would turn back into a duck and no one would remember me if I didn't k-kiss... you know," she stuttered.

"Hold on, who's this 'she'?"

After realizing she could now speak of the hooded woman on free will, Ahiru explained the situation with Fakir. "I see..." he said after she finished her little speech. "But didn't she say something about a price to pay...?"

Before he could fully punctuate the last word of his sentence, a large gust of wind carrying brown feathers swept between the two. It suddenly took a firm grasp around Fakir's body, lifting him half in the air.

"Ahiru!"

"FAKIR!" (Funny how capital letters can express the concern of a certain characters voice.)

"So tell, me knight; what does this being mean to you?"An ominous voice echoed through the air. Seconds later a blond haired figure wearing a red tutu similar to Krahe's only with the top half separated from the bottom black skirt appeared. Her long hair flowed carelessly behind her ankles, growing slightly wider at the bottom. She had small green eyes with tears brewing unnoticed at the corners. She had an expression of anger and fear glued on her face, and she slowly floated (Yeah, forgot to mention she was floating. Mai bad.) toward Fakir of whom was now surrounded by a giant cloud of feathers and dirt in the air (say that last sentence sarcastically.).

"Tell me knight... what does Princess Tutu have that could possibly be better than my love?"

* * *

Yeah...

So, what the hell is going on? Why do ducks do ballet? How did Ahiru manage to sit through that long boring talk about her humanity without either falling asleep or getting some coffee? Not much of these will be answered next time, but it's worth reading. XD

~~Sakura


	4. The End of the Begining

Disclaimer- I know it's a little late, but do you really think I own princess tutu? I mean if I did, I would be making this a third season anime right now!

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_"Tell me knight... what does Princess Tutu have that could possibly be better than my love?"_

"W-who are you...?" Princess Tutu asked the stranger. She was getting used to creepy strangers popping up offering her deals or something.

"Aw... looks like someone lost their shiny little pendant for her prince. He didn't even return your burning feelings. Poor you... oh, and look at the poor knight. I got a little teary eyed at the scene of you admitting the kiss was not of love but of your own selfish desire... Tutu," She replied evilly.

"Ahiru!" Fakir called, turning back to face his new opponent. "Who are you? Let me go you witch!"

The so called 'witch' looked close to tears at her new nickname, but spoke none of it. "So desperate for introductions? Fine. I am Princess Azure (Don't ask where the name came from), the only one to rid you of your pain... Fakir."

"How do you- pain?" Fakir yelled.

"Azure-san... what do you want?" Tutu asked almost fiercely after staring at her neckline to see it was bear, no pendant. Just skin and a dress.

"I want your love, Fakir! I can make you forget, forget your feelings for that tramp! Just take away your emotion, and _love only me_!" Azure literally _screamed_ that.

_Fakir's... feelings? "_What do you mean- take away his emotion?" Tutu called.

"This." Azure pulled out a feather, that turned into a small sword, almost like a cutlass. She lunged forward and thrust it into Fakir's chest. He winced in pain, a large green light enveloping his body, followed by about 10 small green shards of what appeared to be glass flying out of his body and out into the cool night air. One of which landed on Azure's chest, turning into a black twisted gem and attaching itself to her chest. A piece of string hooked onto it and ran round Azure's neck, transforming into a pendant. The same happened with another on Tutu's neck, but the shard transformed into a green butterfly shape with blue triangles shooting out of the center. It also had a gold chain swimming around her neck, connecting at the back.

Fakir's eyes suddenly turned grey and lifeless, and his body slumped and fell out of Azure's grasp. His body was caught by a rush of pink flowers (Ahiru's life saver device) before it hit the ground, and Tutu rushed over to him. "Why thank you, Tutu, you have allowed us both to use his own heart to keep us in these disgraceful forms as we fight for his love. Now his heart is shattered, there's no way he could love you. Ta ta, good luck... you'll need it," Azure's voice echoed before she disappeared into a cloud of robin feathers.

_How exactly do you plan on winning his love by stabbing him and throwing him to the ground?-_

_I mean, _"Fakir!" Tutu lifted his body up and stared into his eyes. They showed no sign of life or emotion, and he just stared at her while she sobbed into his shirt. "I'm sorry Fakir... I'll get you back..." _Because... I love you._

_

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A/N- finally somethings actually happening in this. Imma' be uploading some pictures of Tutu's and Azure's costumes designs hopefully on deviantart, I'll give the links when they're up. Thanks for reading.


	5. A New Quest

Disclaimer: You really think the one's who own princess tutu are uploading on fanfiction sites? I. Do. Not. Own. Princess. Tutu. (As goes for any other chapter.) Although, I wish I owned Fakir...

No. Gabriel forever!

* * *

Fakir's eyes slowly stirred open at the sound of his name being called.

I swear, I'm running out of ways to express people waking up.

'_Fakir... I'm sorry... I'll get you back...'_

"Ahiru?" He managed to make out through his else where mind.

"Fakir! Are you okay?" Ahiru held in a sob out of sheer happiness.

"I don't know," Fakir put it plainly. He sat up to find himself buried under several blankets in his room, Ahiru piled on top of him.

Ahiru looked horrified at his response. "Fakir... are you hurt? You fell fro-" she realized his resemblance to Mytho's attitude when he was but a heartless puppet.

_"Why thank you, Tutu, you have allowed us both to use his own heart to keep us in these disgraceful forms as we fight for his love. Now his heart is shattered, there's no way he could love you. Ta ta, good luck... you'll need it..."_

The voice rang in her head as painful memories flooded Ahiru's already spinning brain. "Princess Azure..."

Fakir showed no emotion. He was confused about certain phrases he remembered... what did it mean to feel... happiness? Shame? Weakness? He did not ponder on the chain of thoughts.

"She did this to you!" Fakir's thoughts were shattered by a startled realization of Ahiru's.

"Fakir, can you feel anything? She said..." she broke off into a shaky breath. "She said your heart was shattered!" Almost as if on cue, the green pendant around her neck began to glow. The features were different from that of the original that the strange woman had presented her; it was darker and more eerie. It had a sturdy silver chain clinging to her neck, a golden hook attaching the gem and the chain. "Is this... one of your heart shards?"

"Who knows," Fakir muttered.

"Fakir..." Ahiru could feel hot tears brewing in the café of her eyes. "Fakir! Look at me! Don't you remember? Why won't..."

"I don't know," he cut her off. Ahiru's tears cascaded down her cheeks as she buried her face in Fakir's cold lap. Suddenly, silence filled the room as the clock stopped ticking and Fakir's breath hitched (not that he really needed it). Ahiru let out a breath she didn't know she was holding (hey, everyone else was using that phrase on this site. Why can't I?) as she turned her head up to the site of a clock- a familiar voice booming out of it.

"A shame, a _terrible_ shame! Just as a new story blooms and Princess Tutu has a meaning for existence, my meddling grandson goes and destroys my writing machine! Oh, how awful... now I can't mess things up! And that witch just made things worse, she even granted your wish. I told her to provoke you with that worthless gem, not _give_ it to you! Same goes for Li- I mean, Azure-san."

"Drosselmeyer-san?" Ahiru whispered through her decreasing sobs.

"Ah, I must be off. Just came to warn you, if you don't put on a good show, there shall be consequences! And if you say..." he clicked his fingers.

"Quack!"

"Well, you read my mind." The clock disappeared as Ahiru submerged from the mountain of clothes. She stared down at her han- _feathers_, as it hit her- '_I'm...I'm a duck!'_

She jumped up, ignoring the lifeless gaze of Fakir, and scrambled to the bathroom, struggling to open the door. When she (finally) succeeded to break in, she flew clumsily up to the sink and somehow managed to turn the tap. _'This better work...' _She dipped her wing under the small stream of water plummeting down and a bright green light engulfed her lithe body. She emerged in her human form and scrambled back to her patients room- _naked. _"Quack! _Crap_!" She repeated her process, this time gathering her clothes and actually _dressing_ in the bathroom before ridding of her embarrassed state before rushing back to Fakir. (And just to let you know, she _did_ turn of the tap as I forgot to mention.)

"You should rest Fakir... I guess this means I have to find your heart... I promise. I'll get it back- Fakir I... I guess it would mean nothing to you now but..." Ahiru whispered as she laid down his body on the bed and made him close his eyes, a small blush invading the skin of her face at her own actions.. "Fakir... I-"

_If she were to speak of her love, she would disappear in a flash of light._

"Nothing... go to sleep. You must be exhausted, Fakir."

_'I wonder if it still qualifies if I confess now... was that only for love toward the Prince? Or love directed to anyone? Is Princess Tutu never to be with the one she loves?_

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Well, now I have to start thinking of a way to start the whole gathering the knight's heart thing. I'll update more later, reviews welcome. I know it's kind of short and I really didn't spend much time on this, but please read and review, it means a lot. Thanks!

~~Sakura


	6. Apologies and Thanks

_A/N- scream if you know the answer to life! Sorry, just came up with that._

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_'Fakir... thank you. You accepted me, in any form, you supported me in so many ways. You made me think positively of myself and helped me help Mytho and myself... and Fakir, I... I love...'_

Ahiru's eye fluttered open, clearing themselves of any traces of sleep.

(Thank God, I found a new way to say- 'Ahiru woke up.' and just so you know, I was using the same phrase on purpose. Every chapter starts with someone waking up... I do that on purpose. Don't judge me.)

Her head was still resting on Fakir's lap- of whom was still resting. _Fakir lost his heart..._

She slowly stood up, hearing the sound of woeful footsteps resounding from downstairs. _Charon-san must be home by now... I wonder if he knows about Fakir..._

She trudged downstairs, coming face to face with Fakir's guardian in the doorway to the staircase. "Ah- Charon-san... Fakir's still... see, he-" She whimpered. How exactly could she explain Fakir got stabbed in the chest- or the fact that she was in his house? "Ah- oh, sorry, um I took Fakir home because, he well was slightly- injured... I didn't mean to come uninvited." Ahiru bowed her head several times, and Charon raised a hand.

"You don't have to explain, Fakir will tell me later. Care for some tea?" He smiled wryly (I didn't look up the definition for that word...) at his guest.

_(Oh, people, I may have forgot to mention- Ahiru was wearing some of Fakir's spare clothes all this time. Just to help set a better picture. I should probably go edit the other chapters to explain that...)_

Ahiru accepted shyly, following her 'host' to the kitchen where he prepared the drinks. As he selected three mugs and found the tea bags, he said in a quite tone,"Fakir's told me about you, you know. He said you were an important part to Mytho's life. he dedicated himself to that boy, always boasting on how he would 'protect his _prince_ at all costs, but then you showed up. In the end..." he paused, turning to face the girl. "In the end... he said it was all thanks to you our lives were spared. No idea why though, as a matter of fact I don't remember anything before a couple of weeks ago... but I just wanted to say thank you. You really changed Fakir, he seems to have opened up a lot more now. I believe that's thanks to you- you dug up his smile and re-planted it on his face." Ahiru looked quite bewildered, she couldn't possibly have done anything to...

"Ah- sorry. I didn't mean to confuse you. Come, sit down." He smiled and placed the two mugs on the table and pulled back a chair. '_He must have forgotten the end to the story. Then how does he know Mytho...?' _Ahiru thought as she sipped the steaming liquid. She hadn't had decent human fit food in a while, so you could say it was a treat for her.

"Is Fakir awake? I'll take his up for him," Charon shattered the oncoming silence- referring to the tea.

"Ah, I think he's still asleep. But I'll take it up for him. But he doesn't seem to remember anything, it's like he's forgotten me. I-I'll take this up to him now! T-thank you!" Before he could blink, she was up the stairs, down the hall and in front of Fakir's door. She turned the knob slowly, wishing not to disturb her knight. She set down the mug beside his peacefully resting form, and left without another trace. As she stepped out the door, a thought crashed into her mind. Her foot still mid-air, she realized she practically had no home. She could always go back to the pond and change back to a duck, but this tended to be the time the previous 'Neko-sensei' took his kittens out for hunting lessons. Sighing, she figured the best option would be to ask for a place to stay.

Half sulking, half something else the author could seriously not be bothered to come up with, Ahiru asked Charon if she could sleep in his house for a while. Of course, he agreed, upon hearing she had no real parents. Fortunately, they had a spare room in which Rachel (I've seriously NO idea how to spell the other name for her- but hey, this is fanfiction. We are free beings.) used to stay occasionally. It was dusty and unfit for someone who used to be a magical ballerina princess who guides YOUR HEART- ehem, it was dusty and abandoned, but somewhat decent. It had a small bed in one corner, a desk- a lamp resting on top and a delicate dresser hidden in the opposite corner.

Ahiru refused dinner (offered by Charon)- apparently it was too much to ask. He, of course, found this nonsense, and gave her a small serving of... (writers block strikes again!) whatever he could find really. When he was satisfied she had eaten, she excused herself and left to check on Fakir. He was still asleep- her guesses were as bad as mine how he couldn't possibly sleep so long. Pushing the thought aside, she walked up to him and laid a cold hand on his forehead. He practically had no temperature, what with no heart to pump blood through him.

She knew she had to help him, it was her duty as Princess Tutu to rejoice people and their happiness.

She allowed her head to lay on his chest, no pulse to lull (yeah... I didn't look up the definition for that either. I just use what fits.) her to sleep. She opted instead to rely on her own steady breathing pattern as she drifted away.

...So much for renting a room.


	7. Tasks and Rivals in Love

"_Lilie, you look pale... are you sure you're okay?"_

"_I'm fine Pique... just feeling a little sick. It's nothing to worry about really! -Oh, I get it! You're trying to create a mature amateurish school girl bond and attitude! How cute!"_

"_Ah- no, it's just you look like you're about to puke... oh God, Lilie? Get her a bucket!" _

_

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_

"Fakir, you sure you're okay to go to school today?" Ahiru asked, slipping on her outer jacket.

"I don't know," he replied bluntly.

"Fakir... Well, we should go. Yakigo-sensei will scold us if we're not there! Come on!" She tried to sound enthusiastic.

"Okay." He took the hand she was holding out, and she dragged him out to the Academy. Ahiru thought it would be sensible to avoid school (while he still attended) for a while, seeing as she had other issues to take care of. Honestly, she wanted to stay as close as she could to Fakir, but his guardian had insisted for her to rest. It was possible she could over-strain herself if she was on guard of Fakir 24-7, so he saw to it she got a break.

Once Ahiru dropped Fakir off at the Academy, she waved to his back and turned to the blacksmith. She walked past an alleyway, only to stop at the sound of sobbing resounding from inside it. Out of sheer curiosity, the duck-girl peered her head round the wall, revealing a small feminine figure, leaning on the brick wall and sobbing into her lap with her legs tucked up to her chin and arms hugging them. Ahiru stepped toward her, stopped by the faint image of a green male put an arm around her.

"That's right... cry to your hearts content. He would never accept someone like you, a useless, good for nothing tramp. No matter how much you pour your love into your work, it'll never work," the emerald figure told her firmly.

"Is that... one of Fakir's heart shards?" Ahiru questioned herself recognizing the hairstyle of the so called comforter. Whizzing round the corner, she pulled into another alleyway. Once certain she was visible to no one, she pulled out her glittering pendant and closed her eyes. A familiar warmth flowed through her body, simulating the darkness. She opened her eyes as her limbs stretched out and a crystal white tutu swam up her form. A silver tiara with a green gem in the center rested upon her head, surrounding the out of place flick of hair that refused to join the rest. Delicate pink point shoes danced up her legs, curving round the fragile skin. The captivating pendant clinging to her neck line morphed into a butterfly shape, 4 green diamonds sprouting from the center. It was like an updated Princess Tutu.

"Tell me, young miss... what troubles you so?" the elegant prima donna spoke softly as she drifted to the ground in front of the heart-broken child. The girl and shard gazed up in awe at her beautiful figure, gasping as her warm glow seemed to blind them. If heart shards can be blind that is.

"H-he never accepted my love... he went off with someone else! And... he left- he left me t-to deal with the pain!" the flaming child whimpered between shaky breaths, tears kissing her pale facial skin. (I think I'm going through a phase of synonyms.)

"Unrequited love can be a pain, like a withering flower put to rest," Princess Tutu replied solemnly. '_Yeah, Mytho. A withering flower,'_ she thought wryly._ 'Ah, I mean I'm glad he's happy!_'_'_ Shaking away the thought, she continued, "Yet, if you learn to move on and forget the pain, even if it's difficult, that flower will bloom again in the most unlikely places." (*) _'Yeah, because I never thought I'd fall in love with a jerk like Fakir. Ack- I mean, um...'_

"How true..." the girl innocently replied. The shard merely snorted, being one of Fakir's, it was clearly un-amused at the soppy speech. In any case, it dissolved into a cloud of shimmering dust and landed gently in Tutu's palms. She spared a curtsy, before dashing off, her pace never losing its elegance or enthusiasm.

Ahiru once again emerged from the dark alleyway, now wearing her typical weekday clothes. Or, just some clothes she was borrowing from Rachel. She decided it would be best to meet up with Fakir after school, and return the emotion to him then in the form of Tutu.

Fakir stood patiently (because puppets don't need patience.) outside the school gates, waiting for his 'escort'. When she finally appeared, he gathered she was not in her original form. The graceful, unmistakable figure of Princess Tutu dashed up to face him, smiling nervously. "Fakir, I brought a piece of your heart..." she whispered.

"Okay," he replied calmly. As she reached out to present the jewel to him, a gust of wind swerved around Tutu's fragile hand, blinding her vision.

"That belongs to me, thief!"a seemingly recognizable voice empathized each pronunciation and echoed through the crisp evening air.

"Azure-san?" Tutu asked, answered when the princess appeared in front of them.

"The one and only," she replied wryly. Grinning almost mischievously, she stretched her pale arm out to grasp the shard, of which was now being held captive by the miniature tornado. "Look, dear knight, that tramp is of no importance to you. She just wants your love for herself, thus gathering your heart in hope you'll return her burning desire. Of course, I can take away the pain. Love only me, and forget that poor excuse for a princess!" Azure's voice shattered the air, shielding the distant melody of the wind.

"Yes..." Fakir replied slowly, gathering his limbs and heading towards the graceful figure.

"Fakir, no! She's the one who made you like this! Wake up, don't listen to her!" Tutu began to become fierce, her voice penetrating other's ears.

Azure looked like she just got kicked in the face, of which scrunched up uncomfortably as tears began to cascade down her soft cheeks when Fakir stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face the rose-haired heroine. "Fakir... WHY? E-even though... even though I love..." her cries of protest were cut of by two small, brown, red chested birds landing sharply on her shoulders. _Even though I love you so much... you remain oblivious to how much pain that causes me._

Azure's figure soon dissolved into a cloud of its own, the two robins fluttering along with it. Tutu ran over to Fakir, eager to return the small shard that the princess dropped in her dramatic exit. She once again raised her arms, and let the knight be partly restored. Gasping, Fakir raised his head to meet her gaze.

"Ahiru... I remember- that's you, in there, A-Ahiru..." his head lolled forward, his dark bangs casting shadows over his unreadable face. "You should have saw this coming. Now I'll be in pain, and you can't do anything about it," he continued with a change of tone. His dull eyes gained a small amount of light, and a single tear rolled down his cold cheek.

Gasping, the ballerina reached out to touch his face when he turned harshly. She recalled the actions and behavior of the shard in its earlier form, it seemed to have a stuck up feel-bad-about-your life attitude, the feeling of... guilt? It was a possibility. But it was making herself feel more guilt than he, so what could it have...?

Fakir's body slumped to the ground, losing conscientiousness. Tutu grasped his shoulders as to keep his form stable, then held him close, sobbing his name repetitively.

* * *

(* I used that speech about the flower blooming in a manga I'm writing, I feel like a total sap. lol. please review, reviews are like my meals. they... satisfy me.)

shout out to shippofan2k for all the attention you've paid to this! thank you!


	8. Friend or Foe

With a pained groan, Ahiru lifted her upper lithe body to find herself slumped against a wall in a somewhat abandoned street. Unconsciously, she raised a pathetic, swollen hand to a gnash in her forehead. Wincing in pain the moment her weak finger came into a stinging contact with the small trail of blood swimming down her eyebrow, she glanced around at her as of yet distorted surroundings.

She appeared to be in the exact same alleyway from the... plausible night prior, of where the young child was embraced by the unknown emotion. Eventually, Ahiru gathered her limbs- a sudden urge passing through her at every thought. _'Fakir...'_ was quite frankly the only vocabulary flooding her mind. She seemed to forget more with every passing second, her knees breaking and shaking violently beneath her. Again receiving a revived energy, she staggered forward a step, her head spinning persistently. Blood stained her vision (k, maybe this _should_ have been rated 'm'... not that it's _that _violent.), only assisting in making her tumble to the ground in bitter and utter defeat. _'Fakir...' _again, his face flashed in her mind, his blank, green orbs locking her gaze in shame. _'Did I... let him down?'_

_

* * *

_

Charon gazed down woefully at the unconscious form, slipping a wet flannel across her slick, blood stained forehead- almost delinquently regretting his actions when she stirred uncomfortably. Slowly, Ahiru raised one sleep-stained eyelid, blinking uncontrollably when the light raked her pupils. Dispelling the pain, she curiously stared up to lock gazes with the awe-struck guardian known as Charon.

"Charon... what-"

He once again dabbed the damp cloth on her beaten skin, refusing permission for her to append to her speech.

"Shush. You require more rest- badly. I've frankly no idea what happened back then, but Fakir wasn't coming home, so I went out, and you were..." he trailed off, recalling her lifeless body clinging to the walls of a building for dear life.

Ahiru eventually gave in, abruptly flopping her head on the welcoming pillow below. She attempted to rid of her minds black out and possible amnesia. As she was absorbed by sleep, the faint, eroding image of Azure's outstretched palm lingered in her mind...

* * *

Lilie's head stirred, raising and eventually glancing around the room hastily. She had a sharp pain in her leg, her head pounding from lack of eye concentration. Straining her body to its very limit, she grasped the duvet she awoke on and launched herself up. She gasped at the sight of a supposedly unconscious body littering her floor, gasping in pain when she moved to attend its presence. She shook it violently by its shoulders, sighing slightly when its head lolled sideways to meet her gaze. She blushed furiously when it's identity was revealed as none other but her mild crush, Fakir.

He just scowled somewhat discomfortingly, sending shivers down her scarred spine.

"Heh, I haven't done this in years! It fills me with glee!"

The oncoming silence was brutally disturbed by a familiar voice, chanting endless words of joy into the still air.

Lilie swirled her head round to the source of the strangely ominous voice. To her surprise, a life-size hologram of the very same boy resting in her arms was bouncing recklessly on her bed. It seemed to be having the time of it's life, not a cloud in it's eye. Lilie practically almost fainted, it was overwhelming to have duplicates of the same love of her life in one room, one of which glowing green and acting like a released four year old one might add. She abruptly (man I love that word) dashed across the room in a vague attempt to seal the... alternate Fakir away, only to have it leap out of her way and dissolve into a minuscule emerald gem. Okay, _now _she passed out.

* * *

By now, Ahiru was regaining vague memories of the night prior, miniature details being filled in every time she blinked.

_Fakir and Ahiru walked home, relying on one another for balance. Ahiru let out a despaired sigh, Fakir had only regained a mere critical emotion, making him more of a jerk... That alongside the sheer disappointment of Azure. She honestly praised this did not erupt like the volcanic wrath of Kraehe, her previous rival in love. She only wished Azure would be happy too, and cease begging for her knights love. Azure seemed clearly troubled by her words of love (_and how many times have I said the word 'love' in these past sentences_?), perhaps not willing to accept Fakir's lack of love (_there's that word again._) for practically anything in their given position._

_As if to answer Ahiru's troubled, paranoid thoughts, the tell-tale gust of wind once again swallowed the silence with a hungry howl. The tearful princess herself appeared in front of their quivering (well, Fakir was keeping his stance firmly whilst Ahiru was trembling like hell.) forms._

"_Criticism, glee, hatred, loneliness, fear, guilt, concern, happiness, shame, hope and love, all lost; doomed. So tell me, why is he still with someone who can never truly make him happy, where as he could be free from the chains if he chooses my path?" Azure clasped her hands together abruptly, of which when separated revealed an elegant dagger, decorated with delicate gems and what appeared to be the figure of a robin etched into the priceless silver steel. Or at least however priceless steel could get in those days, but I'm getting out of topic._

_Azure lunged forward toward Fakir, mirroring her previous abrupt attack, only to be stopped in her tracks by the firm stance of Ahiru. The knife instead was delved partway into Ahiru's skin, and she gasped in penetrating pain. Azure wasn't sure to feel either overjoyed by the fact that didn't infact impale Fakir's rib and in so doing injure her opponent's front, or plain irritated that she was so close to once again shattering her target's heart, yet failing._

_Sighing- clearly uncaring, Azure darted by the stumbling, bleeding figure and retrieved 'her' knight- knocking Ahiru flat into a wall in the process. As everything began to dim, Ahiru breathed out heavily, "Fakir..."_

And that was it, as far as she could remember. Charon had found her weak, unconscious body and treated her wounds, repetitively pestering her about whether she was okay or what the hell happened, the latter mainly unanswered or avoided. Ahiru was soon on the road to recovery. Fakir never came home.

He never...

* * *

Lilie- after eventually stirring and recovering from her shocked state- decided to transport Fakir to the medical room- and to make sure she wasn't accidentally becoming, well... drunk. None of her friends could identify the reason why she was out so late last night, and Lilie couldn't help but feel she was forgetting something... why was Fakir, of all people, in her dorm room? Her heart pounded at the thought he could have been paying her a midnight visit... NO. No way would he do something like that! He was too solemn and dark... not to mention handsome and a great body guard...

Shaking off the thoughts of his... 'personality,' Lilie abruptly (again with that word!) recalled the emerald gem. She yanked it out of her skirt pocket, where it had been riding with her all the way around class, and gazed into its attracting aura. She panicked when the class bell suddenly sounded, her surroundings sinking in when she realized people were staring at her as she swung her legs out of her dorm window. She stood up quickly, in the process knocking a flower pot out of her window.

_Oh jeez, I'm becoming more of a klutz than... than? Who was it..._ there was that lonesome feeling again. What could she possibly be forgetting?

* * *

A/N~ k, I seriously don't know why something this short took me so long. In any case, please review and keep reading, I'm working on chapter 9 now! (this chap was a little boring... better next time. Trust me. Look into your screen... and trust in me... wow, I've been watching too much jungle book.) oh, and i know it was completley obvious from the start of the last chapter, but now, you all know who azure is. and if you don't, well... screw foreshadowing!


	9. One

One.

That was all.

One-sided love, one kiss, one stolen heart, only one emotion returned...

Why was it like that? Shouldn't she only love one, and be loved by all? And while she knew that was not the fate decided for her, she _had _to go against it. She _needed _to be with Fakir.

Fakir...why did he choose _her _of all people? That stupid, oblivious and clumsy little twit. _She _was attempting to _return _(I'm making italics a habit now.) the pain, suffering, love.

Love.

Something one needed to give and receive, and Azure was one to do just so.

She was the only _one _to love her knight, _her _knight. She would not allow Tutu to steal his love; Azure would not allow him to regain his obvious love for the other princess.

Azure would get what she wanted, _needed, _need it be by force itself.

And she was more than willing to do so.

* * *

Fakir shuffled his papers, not even sparing a brief passing glance toward the teacher as he stalked rather harshly out of his home room. He was sick of school, he would return to Charon's for dinner. That was all he could feel; it was like hatred, but judging one based on your hate. He felt a vague emptiness wave over his chest, knowing something- even _someone _was missing. He also knew Azure wanted something from him- he wasn't _that _heartless that he'd be so completely oblivious to someone's such persistent needs. She had mentioned the word 'love', another emptiness and unfulfilled gap between reality and...something unnamed.

Ahiru lay on her lent bed, pondering on the possibilities and outcomes of this... 'dilemma'. She recalled the curse of the Raven's blood, the return of the Raven itself, giving her humanity for all's happiness...

That would mean in order to fully return Fakir, she would have to...to give up the...

No. She chased away such negative thoughts, knowing if it meant his happiness, she would gladly sacrifice her life. But still... why had that mysterious dweller presented that pendant to her in the first place? It clearly wasn't a heart shard at first, how did she even...get it? Perhaps Drosselmeyer had defined a method to regain control over KinKan, bringing a new story- a new tragedy upon its citizens. She wouldn't allow that. For sure, she would prevent unnecessary endings. She knew if Fakir was happy, she could be so too by just being there for him. She would return his heart and grant Azure happiness, once again defying fate and overcoming any threatening obstacles in her way.

* * *

Two identical twins firmly sat on the almost eroding bench, clenching their fists upon the others for any possible comfort. Tears littered their cheeks, baring silver trails upon them. Lonesome; fearing the darkness, fearing happiness. They did all in their will to maintain that balance between dark and light, yet something caved in on their minds, seizing their thoughts and morphing them into negative shapes and sizes. Neither wished for this, they longed to feel the light enveloping their bodies and souls, to just play with others for just once in their lives.

Once.

That was impossible. They were too plain, dull, their skin was dead, their hair un-brushed and neglected. Their ribs could almost easily be made out from their thin, torn jumpers; they were the sight of beggars, tramps. They needed the light, everyone has a requirement or need. they needed the light as much as the air they breathed. Yet, darkness had engulfed the light mercilessly, shadowing their souls.

* * *

(Woo, line breaks are fun!)

Startled by the sudden and abrupt (same thing?) flash of emerald from her neckline, Ahiru automatically grasped the pendant in her palms, joy invading her veins at the thought of another step to a complete Fakir. That familiar warmth dug into her skin, she could feel her limbs almost ripping and being moulded into an elegant, flawless figure.

_'Even if I do return to my true self, know it is for your and all other's happiness. This is all I can do for you right now, I have someone new to protect with my life. Do not despair of my body's loss, please, I'll always be right beside you. But you need this organ, without it you're a mere puppet. I chose to do this, to take on the path, even if this was the only option and this was forced upon my shoulders, I am happy to serve you, my knight. Fakir.' _

(Wow, now _that _was a monologue.)

* * *

(So...many...line breaks! XD)

The two (ehem, loners, XD) jerked their heads up at the unexpected beams of light and warmth licking their skin, only to bow their heads as if in shame at the dramatic appearance of Princess Tutu. "Please, do not pity us; we deserve the darkness," one whimpered through clenched teeth. Judging by their clothes and hair, they appeared male. The abandoned park soon morphed into a dark area of oblivion, the only light source reflecting from Tutu's fragile skin.

"Why do you feel so? No one deserves to be neglected or forgotten," Tutu replied reassuringly. _'Yeah, Pique, Lilie. NO ONE, not even a duck- ehem.' _

"Surely we, ones who have done nothing to serve, do not deserve happiness...we, we just wanted to make our Mother happy. She was always saying how lonely it was without Father, how angry she was at the sight of another woman... but we never expected her reaction from our birth. She had us taken away, to somewhere out of bounds. We believe that is perfectly fair, keeping us away from civilization for another's happiness. Do you...agree?" The so far silent questioned longingly.

Tutu scarcely nodded, before shaking her head almost violently and turning her attention back to the first to speak. His golden-ginger hair clung to his face, glued on by his damp tears. "No, no-one- everyone deserves a happy ending! Whether... whether one is happy or...everyone deserves happiness, despite however many sins they have committed. You will not be locked away, I'm sure- _I know _you'll find that light... together." Tutu finished in a comforting whisper, holding back the burning tears from her own words. It was funny how much these stories of the heart's victims almost resembled her own, and how much could be passed down from the story prior. Also how this was having an emotional effect on herself.

"A-are you... sure? To be honest, we don't...want to be abandoned." At that, the familiar glow evolved from their chests, relieving them of their pain. Loneliness, fear, honesty, oblivion- Azure missed quite a few emotions in her previous speech. ("_Criticism, glee, hatred, loneliness, fear, guilt, __concern, happiness, shame, hope and love, all lost; doomed._)

_'Although these 4 are negative and sad emotions, they are also an important part of one's self;' _Tutu repeated knowingly to herself. She outstretched her limp palm, retrieving the quadruplet of gems as they nested in her hand. The boys muttered a brief word of thanks, before stepping into the night. (Neither seemed affected by the random ballerina princess, they were just glad to have been accepted.) Tutu curtsied elegantly as the scenery regained its origin form, the creaking gates swinging gently in the faint autumn breeze.

Now her alter ego's alter ego (where did I get that from?), Ahiru dashed off to find her knight, most likely patrolling the school grounds randomly. She had been informed by the school infirmary that he had no physical damage, only a bad temper and a brief case of amnesia from the night before. Ahiru allowed him to continue his day of school while she pondered lazily on the subject of their troubles.

When she finally found her target, Ahiru was absolutely awestruck to see a giant grin littering Fakir's face.

"Why hello, nice day out, hm?"

* * *

A/N- ouch, my hands. I quickly typed this up after school, I had an inspiration from the Hitachiin twins from Ouran High School Host Club for the loner boys.. no offence to them. Well, please review and look out for chapter 10. Sorry about the bad title and terrible attempt at a cliffhanger. Chow 4 now.


	10. Accidents and Coincidences

I would just like to thank-awesome-craziness Dairi-Luvs-Rain DarkHuntressRahzel delphigirl689 Desteny star dreambee Hopelover101 KaliHaines PenAndInkPrincess sailorplutoouterscout and shippofan2k for adding my story to their favourites! It means a lot... ;3; (-all emotional) (also, if you guys have a problem with me shouting out who added this to faves, I can always remove the information from this chapter :))

You know, I read the fan-novel 'This Pendent Heart' by Mangaka-Chan and LunaSphere, and I have to say, it made my fanfiction look like a piece of shi..._crud._ XD I'm gonna order a copy so I can boast about my geekiness to non-otaku at my school XD

* * *

_When she finally found her target, Ahiru was absolutely awestruck to see a giant grin littering Fakir's face._

_"Why hello, nice day out, hm?"_

_

* * *

_

Lilie gasped at her friend's rather inappropriate suggestion. "W-what? No, no, that can't be it!"

"Oh, come on. You say you see a green midget Fakir thing bouncing on your bed, it's obviously a sign. You have to give the gem to Fakir, proclaim your adoration for him and you'll be married and have ogre kids. Seriously Lilie, I would've thought _you _would have sprung that up, you are a sadist dragon who's obsessed with tragedy or something," the purple-pink headed replied, the latter of the sentence more murmured than not.

"N-no, that's more something Ahiru would do!" Lilie retorted to Pique, not quite reading her own words.

"Who? Ahiru? Never heard of her," Pique questioned, also thoroughly confused.

"I...don't actually know. Whoever she is, she wouldn't have a chance with Fakir anyways, hm?" Lilie sang reassuringly.

"True, but it's no excuse to escape confessing!"

Eventually, Pique managed to scarcely convince her sadistic friend to at least present the jewel to Fakir- "As a sign of love!"...as a sign of love.

Lilie caught up to Fakir, spotting him oddly walking round the fountain with his nose in the air. Shaking off the 'coo-coo' vibe being released from Fakir's posture, she dashed up dramatically to meet his emotionless gaze. She didn't forget to blush, half at the meaning of her future actions, other simply because it 'makes the whole scene so much more original and cute'. Typical.

"Ah, Fakir, I saw this and thought it was your type so I bought it and I wanted to give it to you because...Eheh, sorry I sound so much like some kind of klutz!" Honestly, Lilie was only pretending to be nervous, it was fun to add drama to some sort of confession. Fakir gazed unconsciously at the offered gem, it's tone and aura adding a faint spark to his facial expression.

Abruptly, the stone began to glow and slowly drifted in mid-air towards Fakir's chest. The two gasped (Lilie fainting in the procedure) as it sunk deeply into his front without a trace, and Fakir's face brightened at a new yet still recognizable warmth injecting into his veins. The lifeless body on the ground was soon forgotten as he stalked off-a small unnoticeable spring in his step- to the blacksmith.

* * *

"F-Fakir...? Are- are you okay?" Ahiru asked, concern clear in her voice.

"Fine, never better. I just feel happy is all," he replied in a rather irritating, carefree tone.

_'For once...'_ Ahiru thought sarcastically. Eventually, she managed to squeeze the information out of Fakir of which explained his behavior; the heart shard of 'glee' or 'happiness' was returned to him, somehow taking over his previous hell. Ahiru found it a shame to return the other shards of loneliness, fear, honesty and oblivion, all the while, the question dawning and lingering on her mind- how had his happiness returned? Another character, perhaps...? Most fanfictions have them- ah, I mean, it was highly likely of Drosselmeyer to add as many different ranges of characters as possible, but he no longer had control over the town, right? Then what was going on...?

_Azure, _the only possible answer. She had to have had something to do with this. Fakir had described the girl he woke up with to have tatty blond hair, but she was against the idea of a full-hearted Fakir. Maybe even she longed to see a smile on his face. Forcing these depressing thoughts away, Ahiru recalled her duty as Tutu. Again taking transformation, Tutu climbed out into Ahiru's body and turned to her knight. She was downcast at the idea of returning the gloom to him, but she would find a way to once again cause that smile to surface. Tickle him, perhaps. No, that would make it worse knowing him.

Fakir's face dimmed as Tutu held out the four dull gems, allowing them access to his chest. A single tear rolled innocently down his lifeless cheek as all the oblivion took over his senses, it was too much to handle, four negative shards at once. But both knew this was the only way; everyone needs a full and complete blooming heart.

* * *

_'Ah, it appears they're remembering. That of the salmon-headed little klutz, the need for a full heart; now _this _is what a sequel should be like...' _the cackling, yet familiar voice resounded in a far off dimension.

* * *

Wow, is this short. I really wanted to get this up soon, so it got rushed. Sorry folks!


	11. Forgotten Return

"Rue, are you sure you're alright? I can always call a guard or nurse up to check you, or..." The prince looked concernedly at his newly made wife.

"Fine...I just had an odd dream is all," she replied timidly.

"Tell me," Mytho said almost harshly, meaning only to convince her to feel comfortable enough to share any fears.

"Well..." Rue began, "Ahiru...is a girl again, and there's another princess."

"Ahiru? You mean the girl...that was Tutu?" His face seemed to brighten at the thought of his old friend, yet dimmed at the idea of a new character.

"Yes, Fakir's there, too. But he's not the same, he looks...different," Rue couldn't care less about that meddling knight, but seeing his face so...featureless made her head spin. "I have a feeling this new princess has a thing or two to do with this. Tutu is also back, she seeks something else...Mytho, they need us. Please, we need to help them..." Rue continued in a somewhat rueful manner. (Pun intended.)

"We need to go, now. Come on, get dressed. If there's a threat to my close ones, there's always a price to pay," Mytho stumbled for words as he pulled on a shirt.

* * *

By the time Fakir and Ahiru arrived home, Charon had already left for work at 6am. He had second job in making armour and battle equipment for royalty. Ahiru sighed woefully as she helped Fakir into his bed. She was close to tears seeing that priceless smile he would reserve only for her planted on his face, she longed for it to stay there for as long as they lived. Knowing to tell the possible from the impossible, Ahiru pushed away the thought and clambered into her own, seemingly welcome bed. She saw a dream of her life up to that point; her life as a duck, the heartless prince, Rue, ballet, Neko-sensei, Mytho, the Raven, Fakir...

Fakir.

The one she now lived for.

She wouldn't let him down.

Even if it cost her life itself.

* * *

Ahiru awoke to the sound of persistent yet gentle knocking at the door. (At least I didn't say the sound of her name being called.)

"Ahiru? Are you awake?" What was the point of asking if you were just going to continue knocking? She stumbled down the stairs, still in the same clothes she wore the day prior, and grasped the doorknob almost harshly, regretting her actions as she gazed upon her visitors.

"Ahiru...greetings," Rue smiled at her tatty hair and awestruck face.

"Is Fakir here? Oh, sorry to bother you this early," Mytho bowed respectfully.

Ahiru shook her head, coming to her senses, and bowed- remembering they were royalty. "A-ah! No, it's okay! So, why are you here? You can come in if you want, we were about to have breakfast..." Ahiru struggled to grasp words; the sheer happiness of seeing her friends again concealing the grief of the mere seconds prior. (May I add Charon was shopping at this point in time? Ahiru lied about the breakfast.)

Giggling at the duck-girls to-be-expected stuttering, the two allowed themselves in, not even taking in the fact Ahiru was a girl until-

"Ah! I need to talk to you guys- two about something. See," she waited for 'their Majesties' to be seated on the sofa before continuing, "there's this new supposed princess named Azure, and she, well..." gulping timidly, Ahiru shuffled her weight in her chair. "Shattered Fakir's heart."

Rue and Mytho gasped in unison, the female of the two paling at the resemblance to her dreams. When the Prince/King questioned on how she was human, and how Fakir lost his heart, Ahiru could only stutter nervously before giving a decent explanation. The King and Queen looked mortified at the detail of the blade meeting Fakir's chest, each coming to the conclusion that this new princess was indeed, an enemy. Like it wasn't obvious from the start.

Suggestions were literally flying across the room, Ahiru still not mentioning that if she gave up the last shard, she would once again obtain her original form in fear of her friends' concern for her.

"How many have been returned? Shards, I mean?" Mytho finally questioned.

"Well, there was something like criticism, then glee, oblivion, loneliness, fear, guilt...in total, 6," she replied as-a-matter-of-factly.

"That's good, isn't it? How many do you suppose there are?" Rue asked, still not too bothered about the knight himself, but this new character...

"At least 12, one was made into a pendant for me and another for Azure-!" Ahiru paused abruptly, realizing the meaning of her words. _'Damn, did they take the hint?' _She couldn't help but wonder. Removing the hand I forgot to mention she slapped on her face, Ahiru looked up regretfully. _'What if they try to stop me returning the last shard? Knowing them, they would.'_

"Ahiru, we know you do this for Fakir and all other's cause, but you need to bring yourself into the picture. If you want to be human, you can always..." Rue paused at the pained expression on her friend's face. Clearly she hated the idea of not fully returning the knight's heart. _'But then,' _Rue fought down a grin, _'if you return the last shard when the time comes, your knight may be stolen from you, Ahiru...' _Rue thought mischievously. She doubted Ahiru could stand the unrequited love of a prince _and _a knight; she wasn't so oblivious to miss the loving tone in her voice and eyes as she spoke of Fakir. Still, she wondered how her waterfowl friend managed to get over Mytho so quickly...or how she managed to fall for a jerk like Fakir.

"Look guys," Ahiru stood up. "I really can't believe any of you could think I would possibly choose humanity over Fakir. It may have been that carelessness that got us here, but since I've done that, _I_ need to fix that. I can't have someone else pay for that, and it is my duty as Princess Tutu to deliver one and all happiness."

Stunned by Ahiru's bold speech, Rue still insisted, "One being you, Ahiru. You need happiness as much as-"

"You don't understand!" Mytho was glad he stayed out of the argument after Ahiru's yell. "I-I...I love Fakir," Ahiru blushed at her own forwardness, yet refused to show weakness. "I would give my life for him. After saying all this, you really try to change my mind? I don't give a hoot to my own happiness, I was happy gazing at Mytho dancing with Rue, to see you dancing and being happy... I was happy just seeing Fakir smile. And if I could do that, that..." She blinked away the tears. "That would give me the greatest happiness of all."

Hearing this, Mytho stood from his seat and held a shoulder on Ahiru's shoulder calmly. "We know, Ahiru. If it is your wish, we will allow you to do by your will." Rue nodded in agreement, rising to her feet also.

"May I ask where Fakir is?" She asked, possibly uncomfortable with Ahiru and Mytho's position. Ahiru directed her up the stairs, then left to prepare tea in the kitchen. Rue ascended to the first floor, Mytho on her heals. When Rue gently stroked the doorknob, she gasped in pain. Clutching her chest, she stumbled back into Mytho's waiting arms.

"Rue!" Mytho caught her, holding her close.

"It's...all my...fault..." She whimpered cautiously. Hearing the commotion, Ahiru scrambled up the stares, fear once again raking her nerves.

"Rue!"

* * *

"My knight, I have a request."

"Must I remind you? I am a man of the arrow."

"True. You know I like to think of you as more of a body guard, knight sounds more...fierce."

"Yes."

"My request..."

"Miss?"

"I need you to assist me in removing Tutu. You know my love for Fakir over takes anything, yes?"

"T-Tutu? I-I...yes, miss."

"The question, you know this, correct? I will not have your love for my enemy engulf your team spirit. If I ask for her to be removed, it shall be so. You have no choice, 'Taka Tori'." _1_

"Please, miss. I understand your will, but...address me by my title. I will take care of Tutu in return."

"Resorting to blackmail, are we now? You think you can order me, Azure, around? Get to your line..."

"Yes, Princess Azure."

* * *

_1_I wasn't planning on including Japanese romaji in this, but Taka Tori means 'Hawk Bird'. You'll see later. (I'm on a roll, like, 3 chapters in one day! Treating you guys...)


	12. Duty

Taka lay in his room. He couldn't do it. He simply couldn't. How could one possibly kill the one they had admired for so long? But the princess commanded it. He had no choice. Even if the entire world became Azure's enemy, he would assure her; he had the same evil blood flowing through his veins. _1_

_

* * *

_

"Rue...please, wake up."

"M-Mytho...?"

"Rue! Are you okay? What- I'm so glad..." Mytho's head lolled down on the mattress, exhausted.

"I...it's all my fault..." Rue whimpered as if unconsciously.

"Rue? Are you okay...?" Ahiru glanced across her room at the rising volume.

"If I hadn't thought so highly of myself, this wouldn't be happening..." Rue scowled at her two allies, sending shivers down their backs at the tone in her expressions.

"Rue! What's wrong with you? Is there..." Ahiru glanced down at her illuminated neck. Sure enough, there was that emerald aura entrancing those who gazed upon it. Not that anyone would be gazing at Ahiru's neck, that would be sick. Uh, anyway. (I sure know how to ruin a mood XD) "Mytho, I think there might be a piece of Fakir's heart possessing Rue. Let me help her," Ahiru pleaded. When Mytho gave the affirmative, Ahiru's body was engulfed by a war of pain and warmth. Tutu gracefully landed on the wooden floorboards of her alter ego's room, reviving glorious memories and, in the meantime, giving birth to new ones.

"Rue, this feeling of shame is not of your own, please allow me to return it to its rightful owner," Tutu begged.

"Why? So you can cause suffering to the very person you _love_?" Rue hastily replied, her voice like a cobra's hiss.

"One's heart is important, those feelings of happiness shall not be washed away by one mere emotion. One should not lock away their true feelings on another's account." Tutu twirled her hands elegantly above her head, the action followed by a familiar stance- _'Please, will you dance with me?"_

_

* * *

_

Taka winced at his beloved target's touching words, regretting his choice all the more than mere seconds prior. He couldn't do it, killing her was off limits. But, Azure...requires her death. Realizing the amount of time he had been gazing through the stained window, Taka gazed upon the heart-warming scene of another shard being returned to the knight. Honestly, Taka felt no pain now he knew she did not requite his love. She could not be with him if he plunged an arrow into her chest anyhow. Sighing, Taka diverted his gaze from the knight and princess, silently unlocked the window, and pulled back the bow. _'I'm deeply sorry, Princess Tutu. I have no choice...'_

Fakir and the royals gasped upon the shattering and haunting sight of a sharp arrow slice through Tutu's pearl tutu, Mytho catching her abused body as it shuddered violently and fell.

"Tutu!" An anonymous voice shattered through the shocked room, disturbing silence. The crew turned their heads toward the window, a blond male visible through the crack separating the glass and frame. Blood trickled mercilessly upon its owner, causing the new figure to wince and leap out of view.

"Hey! Come back! Did you do this?" Rue screamed at thin air. She paced hastily across the room, only catching a gist of his minuscule yellow pony tail fading into the darkness when she drew back the curtains. "You bastard!" She screeched into the empty night.

* * *

"Is Ahiru okay, Rue?" Mytho hesitantly asked.

"She'll be fine, the doctor managed to get the arrow out and clean her up. I'm more concerned about that bug..." Rue paused when Fakir turned through the hallway. "You! You were supposed to protect her!" She screeched. The boys were surprised at how attached and fond Rue was of the duck.

"Rue, please calm-" Mytho's pleads were worthless. When someone Rue loves is harmed, you'll be waking up in hell the following day.

"Couldn't you be the least bit worried, Fakir? You could have saved her!" Rue continued menacingly.

"I-I'm sorry..." Fakir muttered shamefully.

"Just because you obtained shame and hate, doesn't mean you can act the innocent!"

"Rue!" Mytho called, blocking her path when she marched up to slap his knight. "That's enough. I, too, was oblivious to other's feelings when I was but a puppet. Do not blame Fakir. Right now we need to stick together and find the culprit."

Sighing, Rue retreated to her previous guest bed in which her duck-friend now rested (In Ahiru's body; Tutu returns to Ahiru when weakened.).

"Fakir, it's not of your fault, none of us saw it coming. But she's partly right you know, Ahiru cares about you. You should try to help her, please?" Mytho mumbled, still averting his gaze from his knight. Fakir nodded, yet didn't understand their concern for the princess.

* * *

"The task has been completed, Miss. She is gone."

Azure laughed evily, completely oblivious to the endless tears cascading down her guilty brother's cheeks.

* * *

_1_ I stole a lot of these words from 'Len Kagamine, Servant of Evil (Aku no Meshitsukai)'. I love that song and thought the roles and plot were awesome, therefore...'borrowed' -innocent wink- some dialogue and story line. Please review :) Sorry it's so short...I envy a certain someone getting more reviews that me even if they posted their story a while after fine and is 7 chapters less as long...no offence to anyone who has that same criteria XD Oh, btw peoples, my laptop charger has broken and I am unable to access any documents I was previously working on. As soon as the replacement charger arrives I'll treat you with at least 2 chapters for being so patient with me :) sorry folks! (In the mean time, if you're old enough, go read lullaby lust...or not. It's an innocence spoiler. XD)


	13. Dream or Nightmare?

Okay, guys. I'm so effing sorry, but as said in the previous chapter and profile update, my laptop died and I could not access any of my work in progress. Thanks for baring with me, peoples. Oh, and sorry for accidentally stealing character names. I didn't realize at first, but I used the name 'Taka' without seeing kirra-magic had also used it in their 'Kingdom of Birds'. So I apologize for that! -u-; In any case, please enjoy and review!

* * *

"Miss! Miss, please calm down!" Taka scarcely dogged a sharp book.

"How? How is it even possible, dammit? She survived the impact! Outrageous!" Azure screamed, lobbing all the rooms occupants possible at the heart-broken culprit.

"I-I'm sorry, but still...there is an up-side." Taka glanced shamefully at his sore (from running out of target range) feet.

"An...advantage, you mean?" Azure dropped the metal stool (thankfully for her abused brother...).

"Yes, see...the bow, was..." Taka struggled.

"Continue," Azure growled.

"Tinted in the Hawk's blood," he managed out.

"Fool, I am one of the robin. She could not possibly succumb to me now, twit." Azure once again reached for the disregarded material.

"But still, the hawk is a vicious predator," Taka's eyes pleaded for permission to speak. Responding to a hasty nod from his irritable sister, he continued, "it is practically merciless- uh, it has evil blood running with its cells, it is sure to have devious effects on her. She will struggle to collect heart shards with a will of need and hunger injecting her veins."

Azure blinked. _'Most words I'll hear out of him for a while...'_ "Fine. I'll give this... 'Project Hawk' a chance. A slim one. One slip, it'll be you feeling the suffering of your own love..."

* * *

(Annoying A/N- I know this fic's getting a little tense, but it's hard to squeeze in pairing or fluff when one of the two is currently lacking a heart...yet strangely managing to still move his muscles. In any case, bear with me if angst isn't your cup of tea/coffee/biscuits.)

* * *

"Does Fakir have _any _good radio signal in his house?" Rue tormented after several attempts at switching the spoken radio on.

"Rue, hon, you should know, you used to live this exact same town..." Mytho's voice turned into a whimper when his demanding wife gave him 'The Evils' (TM). The prince glanced down at the frizzy-headed unconscious duckling occupying the bed, wondering why Rue would be trying to turn the radio on in the exact same room Ahiru was sleeping. He was also wondering what the speed of dark was, but he swore if I told you that he would hunt me down, so you didn't hear it from me. (This chapter isn't so angsty after all...)

"F-Fakir?" An incoherent mumble resounded from the walls of quilts and duvets. Rue, somewhat upset her duck-friend was still calling for her _precious Knight_, paced hastily across Ahiru's bedroom to accompany her.

"He's fine, Ahiru. You were injured. Go to sleep," the princess demanded softly.

"Don't remind me..." was made out from the lump of fabric and cotton. Rue giggled; even in this state, Ahiru was Ahiru. The calming atmosphere was broken by (_here come the sirens of angst)_ a shattering scream, Ahiru emerging from the disturbingly large pile of blankets, clutching her chest.

"Ahiru? Ahiru!" Rue and her husband gazed worriedly as they grasped her shoulders, coaxing her to calm her body.

_'Oh, what a shame. The darkness draws in as soon as happiness is granted. There's a 100% chance that old creep's getting a kick out of this, it _was_ his taste for tragedy. But still, this heart is so warm, loving...I don't want to leave yet. I got booted from my origin heart, I don't wish it happen again.'_

"Mytho, Rue. I heard Ahiru scream." Fakir stepped fully into view, his gaze locking on Ahiru sat up in her...fortress, her arms paralyzed in the pose of death, her eyes closed painfully. "Ahiru?"

"Ahiru, what's going on?" Rue refused to look away from the binding red glow emitting from Ahiru's chest, also opting to concentrate on regaining her stance and balance. She helped Mytho up, gasping when Ahiru shot up into a menacing body structure, her arms highly resembling wings. "Ahiru!"

"I would've thought you knew, Rue. Seeing how you are a bird of prey. Hawks do their hunting during daylight," Ahiru twirled around menacingly, reappearing from the small dust cloud that had evolved around her as none other than Princess Tutu.

_'No! I won't allow the Hawk's blood to envelope her mind! She is too selfless and giving to have to face tragedy again, and she barely missed it last time!'_

Tutu's appearance flickered slightly, determination slipping off her face to be replaced with an expression of sheer pain and agony. "Ah...!" Tutu- now Ahiru- landed on the floor with a soft thud.

"Ahiru!" Rue and her Prince screamed in unison, dashing over to support their savior's limp form. Fakir, remembering his promise to Mytho the night prior, joined his allies in lifting the waterfowl-turned-girl onto the bed.

"Is Ahiru okay? Is there anything I can do to help?" Fakir questioned, scanning his memories of previous transformations of Ahiru to the princess. She had never acted so forceful. Had something changed in her?

"She'll be okay, Fakir." Rue scowled in his direction, despite her words of reassurance. _'How many shards did he re-obtain? Criticism, then glee, oblivion, loneliness, fear, guilt_, _shame, was it? That last one had me in it's clutches.' _The princess perched herself on the edge of the bed Ahiru was once again sleeping in. _'She really shouldn't try so hard. I mean, can't she have a sense in her body for herself for once?'_ Stroking a piece of stray hair off of the pale red-head's forehead, Rue recalled Tutu's great will in helping others. She remembered the cry of regret when the arrow impaled her, the blond flash melting into the darkness. Blond. Wasn't that the colour used to describe the new princess? But that was clearly a male's voice that had resounded through the window pane. Could it be one of the enemy's allies? Then why did he sound so guilty? It made no sense.

* * *

"Hm. It does seem to have an effect on her, but it's a slow process. Any way to speed this up, Taka?" Azure glared into the small globe, the scenes unraveling before her eerie eyes. Taka winced. His master could be so...demanding.

"I-I'm afraid I do not know of a way..." Taka whimpered. Truth be told, he couldn't stand putting the one he adored so through any more pain, therefore he spoke nothing of the other tactics possible.

Azure grunted. She wished so bad to have her Knight by her side, _her_ Knight without eyes for that duck-like twit. If she could make her seem evil...and if she herself acted innocent...perhaps she could change his attentions. But she would have to be patient. She would have to wait for the hawk to entirely engulf her enemy, then strike. Until then, she would wait and stop any more shards entering the Knight's chest.

* * *

"_Why...Taka, if you love me so...why take away the light?" _

_I can see the thorns impaling her skin...like knife and butter...it slices through easily. This was my fault. I should have stood up for myself, not have been so selfish. But if they claim Azure to be evil, well, I'll assure them all, I have the same evil blood penetrating my veins._

Taka woke with a start. Those dreams-_nightmares _again. He couldn't get her out of his head. Her pained voice quivering and gasping his name...it was driving him insane. Now she had his blood in her, she would surely experience trouble and suffering...but he would make it up to her. In the end.

* * *

I don't wanna ruin the mood here. So yeah. Chow.


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